Bowling score computer

ABSTRACT

A bowling score computer system having manual input of pinfall data via thumb-wheel switches. The switches are sequentially scanned to derive data for use by a solid-state electronic computer to derive individual and team scores. At regular periodical intervals, the switches are rescanned to derive up-todate output values in case the output should be changed. The system has the capability of operating in a handicap mode or in a scratch mode. The input switches serve as an input storage memory and eliminate the need for most other internal memory within the system.

United States Patent 1 Tillman et al.

[ 51 Feb. 27, 1973 BOWLING SCORE COMPUTER [76] Inventors: Herman L. Tillman, 2626 NE. 49th Street, Plantation, 'Fla. 33308; Ralph E. Booth, 691 NW. 65th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33313 [22] Filed: June 14, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 152,833

[52] US. Cl ..235/168, 235/92 GA, 235/151, 273/54 C [51] Int. Cl ..G06f 7/50, G06f 15/20, A63d 5/04 [58] Field of Search ..235/168, 152, 151, 92 GA; 273/54 C [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,184,583 5/1965 Bawtinheimer ..235/92 GA 3,202,803 8/1965 Markstrom ..235/92 GA TEAM TOTAL TEAM TOR ER REGlS PLAYER DECODER VER 3,375,352 3/1968 House et al ..235/151 Primary ExaminerMalcolm A. Morrison Assistant Examiner-David H. Malzahn Attorney--Marvin Reich [57] ABSTRACT A bowling score computer system having manual input of pinfall data via thumb-wheel switches. The switches are sequentially scanned to derive data for use by a solid-state electronic computer to derive individual and team scores.' At regular periodical intervals, the switches are rescanned to derive up-to-date output values in case the output should be changed. The system has the capability of operating in a bandicap mode or in a scratch mode. The input switches serve as an input storage memory and eliminate the need for most other internal memory within the system.

9 Claims, 37 Drawing Figures HANDlCAP r u D DEC! L 5c L 154 sm'rcn HANDICAP QCDEGCOEER 26o HIPERS swncu OUTPUTS i TEMFORARV MEMORY 208 5 6 .4]

BINARV BINARY TU Ali/DER BCD CONVER- TER MINUS POlNTS WIRE-AND DEClMAL TO HAN CAP DEClMAL BALL BlNA 5 swncu ENCO OUTPUTS I J r 5 BALL BALL swncn SELECTOR Z' CEEQ AND HANDlCAP WIPERS nzconsn AND ROBE suncu smoae BALL PLAYER SYSTEM COUNTER COUNTER OSCILLATOR A THRU E F THRU H 5O 52 54 PATENTED I975 3,718,812

SHEET [31 [1F 28 F I 6. 1a

HANDICAP WIRE-ANBEIJ DECIMAL I DECIMAL T0 154 SWITCH HANDICAP 3CD ENCODER 260 H WIPERS SWITCH OUTPUTS L TEMPORARY v 196 208 218 MULTI- MEMORY PLEXER CONTROL A BINARY ADDER BINARY BINARY TO FOR PRESENT ADDER BCD CONVER- FRAME POINTS TER CONTROL BINARY ADDER FOR RONUS POINTS 134 i 144 270 r H H WIRE-AND DEC IMAL TO HANDICAP DECIMAL BALL BINARY STROBE SWITCH ENCODER OUTPUTS I BALL BALL SWITCH SELECTOR 4 Sk 25$ AND HANDICAP wI PERS DECODER AND STROBE swITcH STROBE BALL PLAYER gaff COUNTER COUNTER A THRU E F THRU H R R 5 52 54 r INVENTORS HERMAN L. TILLMAN RALPH E. BOOTH BY MZ M ATTORNEY PATENTED FEBZY I973 MULTI- PLEXER SHEET 0 2 HF 28 TEAM TOTAL TEAM DECODER SEVEN $53 LA R SToRAGE AND AND SEGMENT REGISTER REGISTER DRIVER DISPLAY ADDER 370a 374a r- I r PLAYER @SQXE PLAYER DEcoDER SEVEN 33 -ACCUMULATOR STORAGE AND AND SEGMENT REGISTER REGISTER DRIVER DISPLAY PLAYER DEcoDER SEVEN +STORAGE AND- AND SEGMENT REGISTER DRIVER DISPLAY g oc 374C PLAYER DECODER SEVEN *SToRAGE AND- AND SEGMENT REGISTER DRIVER DISPLAY PLAYER DEcoDER SEVEN +STORAGE AND- AND SEGMENT REGISTER DRIVER DISPLAY PLAYER DECODER SEVEN ST0RAGE AND AND SEGMENT REGISTER DRIVER DISPLAY INVENTORS HERMAN L. TILLMAN RALPH E. BOOTH .1 I BY 4' I P CL-{1 W ATTORNEY PATENTED FEB 2 7 I973 SHEET 030F 28 CLOCK M FIG. 2

@ INVENTORS HERMAN L T I LLMAN NA ND SCHMITT TRIGGER AND FIG. 3

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ATTORNEY PATENTEDFEBZYIQYE! 3.718.812

SHEET UQUF 28 OUTPUT B OUTPUT C OUTPUT D APUIBULA A J A 4 J B J C J D p FLIP p FLIP p FLIP Cp FLIP Q9 FLOP FLOP FLOP FLOP K A, K r B K c K n L T 1NPuLPL (D I s 493 NAND R u RESET RO(l) RESET RO(2) F l G. 5 v

OUTPUT A OUTPUT B OUTPUT c OUTPUT n INKUTJ AJ J-B J c R 11 IP FLIP FLIP FLIP CPEEOP CPFLOP CPFLOP Sl CPFLOE K K K AND s n NAND T NAND SN 7 l9O Q) @CZT; c119 R ESET R9(2) RESET RO(l) RESET RO(2) RESET R9(l) INVENTORS' H A TILLMAN L E. BOOTH ATTORNEY PATENTED FEB 2 7 I973 FIG.7

SHEET CSUF 28 SN 2 4155 0R SH 2 4 l 56 2-! [NE 10 fl-LINE DECODERZDEMULTIPLEXER INVENTORS HERMAN L. TILLMAN RALPH E. BOOTH ATTORNEY PATENTED FEB 2 7 I973 SHEET U7UF 28 FIGS? INVENTORS HERMAN L. TILLMAN RALPH E. BOOTH DECODER SECT O PATENTEDFEB27|973 3;? 18.8 1 2 SHEET 0 9 [1F 28 PAl PAS

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INVENTORS HERMAN L. TILLMAN RALPH E. BOOTH ATTORNEY PATENTED 5527373 SHEET l 3UF 28 INVENTORS HERMAN L. TILLMAN RALPH E. BOOTH 1 11 1 1 6. W @112. m w g F m w w w M 1 1 1 1 fi 3 D 1 1 D m W W 1 ANH M AN" M k a H F $31 $5 1111 ATTORNEY PATENTEDFEBZTIIITS 3 718,812

SHEET 1D HF 28 F I G 1 6 STROBE 16 (D AND AND 101 (9 AND 2C0 ZY AND SN 7 |l53 2C1 Du l-L NE T0 LI E D A S LE L LLE STROBE 26 E CTORS/MU T P XER (IIIUSTRAIINQ ONlY F G 2 Q P RTS c D Y USED) BINARY INPUT 2 CD BCD OUTPUT POSITION l BINARY INPUT 2 U) Q) BCD OUTPUT POSITION 2 BINARY INPUT 2 3 BCD OUTPUT POSITION A BINARY INPUT 2 g Q) BCD OUTPUT POSITION 8 BINARY INPUT 2" BCD OUTPUT POSITION 10 SN 1 5 BCD OUTPUT POSITION 20 M R J0 D INVENTORS' C V RTER HERMAN L. TILLMAN RALPH E. BOOTH ATTORNEY PATENTE FEB2 7 ms sum 1 5 OF 28 F I G I 7 FOR OUTPUT Z4 (2) FOR OUTPUT z;

@ FOR OUTPUT {2 FOR OUTPUT 21 @l (ARRY OUTPUT F T SN 7A83 l-BIT BINARY FULL ADDER GD CO B T BINARY UL ADDER F l G I 8 O l l ZOO 202 INVENTORS HERMAN L I TILLMAN RALPH E I BOOTH ATTORNEY v I la d/ I PATENTEUFEBZYIUH FIG. 19

SNC (UNITS) SND (UNITS) SWB (UNITS) SNB (TENS) \226I SWE (TENS) BUF i BUF SNA (UNITS) SWA (T BUF INVENTORS HERMAN L- TIL RALPH E BO BUF ATTORNEY PATENTEI] FEB27|973 SHEET 1.8EF 28 FIG. 22

INVENTORS HERMAN L- TILLMAN RALPH E. BOOTH ATTORNEY PATENTEU 3,718,812

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FOR INPUT B2 Q3 SN 7LI82 UR INPUT Bl Z-BIT BINARY FOR TP T 22 I FULL ADDER FOR INPUT A2 I Q) FOR OUTPUT 21 FOR INPUT A1 Q) CARRY INPUT c0 I G) F l G 2 6 INVENTORS HERMAN L- TILLMAN RALPH E- BOOTH ATTORNEY 

1. A system for automatically calculating and displaying the score accumulated by each of a plurality of players during the progress of a bowling game which consists of a number of frames, each frame including pinfalls resulting from the rolling of at least one ball by a player, comprising: A. a plurality of independent ball switch means associated with each player for independently manually entering the number of pinfalls for each of the balls either actually used or bypassed because of strikes, B. reading means for periodically and sequentially reading each ball switch means for each player, C. present-frame point determining means responsive to said reading means for periodically and sequentially determining for each player from the number of actual pinfalls, the number of points scored in each frame, D. bonus point determining means responsive to said reading means for periodically and sequentially determining for each player the number of bonus points scored in each frame because of strikes and spares, E. adding means responsive to the number of points determined by the present-frame point determining means and by the bonus point determining means for periodically and sequentially adding the present frame points plus bonus points scored in each frame by a given player to the total such points scored previously in a given game by the given player to derive a new total of points scored to the end of a given frame, and F. means for displaying said new total of points for each player where the given frame is the last frame completed.
 2. A system according to claim 1 further comprising: A. a handicap switch means assOciated with each player for entering a selected number of handicap points to be added to the score of that player, and B. handicap mode switch for selectively ENABLEing the system to operate in the handicap mode in which the handicap points are added to the score or in a scratch mode in which the handicap points are not added to the score.
 3. A system according to claim 2 wherein said adding means further comprising: A. a first adder device for adding said present frame points to said bonus points scored in each frame by a given player to derive the player-scored frame points, B. successive addition means including an accumulator for successively adding applied signals to the contents of the accumulator, to provide a totalized output signal, and C. multiplexer means for sequentially applying the player-scored frame points and the handicap points of the scoring player to the successive addition means to cause the successive addition means to provide a player point total as said totalized output signal.
 4. A system according to claim 3 further comprising: A. a second successive addition means including a second accumulator for successively adding applied signals to the contents of the second accumulator to provide a second totalized output signal, and B. means for causing the multiplexer to apply the player-scored frame points and the handicap points of each player in turn to the second successive addition means to cause the second successive addition means to provide a team point total as said second totalized output signal.
 5. In a system for calculating and displaying the score accumulated by each of a plurality of players during the process of a bowling game, during which game there are varying numbers of pinfalls resulting from each of a plurality of balls rolled by each of a plurality of players, the improvement comprising: A. a plurality of input storage means associated respectively with each allowable rolling of a ball by each of the players for entering the number of pinfalls resulting from the associated ball rolling in the corresponding storage means, B. computation means for sequentially reading out the number entered in each storage means and calculating therefrom the resulting total score of each player to the present frame of the game and for periodically re-reading the number and recalculating said total score at regular time intervals, and C. display means for displaying said total score.
 6. A system as disclosed in claim 5 wherein the plurality of input storage means is a plurality of manually operated switches.
 7. A system for automatically calculating and displaying the score accumulated by each of five players on a team during the progress of a bowling game which consists of ten frames, each frame including the possibility of 0 to 10 pinfalls resulting from the rolling of at least one ball by a player, comprising: A. twenty-one independent rotatable indicator-wheel switches associated with each player for manually entering the number of pinfalls for each of the balls actually used or bypassed because of strikes, each switch having a plurality of separate switch positions corresponding to a number of pinfalls from zero to ten, B. an oscillator clock, C. a ball counter driven as a frequency divider by an output signal from said oscillator clock for successively counting through the possible balls rolled by each player to generate a ball selection control signal and a player counter drive signal, D. a player counter for successively counting through the five players at the completion of a count by said ball counter of 21 balls associated with an individual player for generating a player selection control signal, E. a player selector and strobe unit responsive to said player selection control signal for generating a player strobe output signal, F. a ball selector decoder and strobe unit responsive to said player sTrobe output signal and to said ball selection control signal for generating a ball selection strobe signal for application to said rotable indicator-wheel switches for selecting, one at a time, the rotable indicator-wheel switch to be read out, G. wire-AND output means for combining the outputs of the various rotable indicator-wheel switches into a single ANDed decimal ball switch output signal, H. a decimal-to-binary encoder responsive to said ANDed decimal ball switch output signal for providing a binary encoded output signal, I. a temporary memory responsive to said binary encoded output signal for storing the value of ten balls in the last two complete frames read from said rotable indicator-wheel switches to provide bonus point control output signals and present-frame point indicating signals, J. a control binary adder for present frame points responsive to said present-frame-point indicating signals for producing, by binary addition, added present-frame point signals, K. a control binary adder for bonus-point signals responsive to said bonus point control output signals and to said binary encoded output signal for producing, by binary addition, added bonus point signals, L. a third binary adder responsive to said added present-frame point signals and to said added bonus point signals for producing, by binary addition, frame total-points signals, M. a binary-to-binary-coded-decimal converter for receiving said frame total-points signals in binary form and for producing BCD total-points signals, N. a set of handicap rotable indicator-wheel switches associated with each of said players for adding a predetermined point value to each of their scores, said handicap rotable indicator-wheel switches being strobed by said player strobe output signal to produce a handicap switch output signal, O. wire-AND handicap output means for producing an ANDed handicap output signal corresponding to the player whose score is then being calculated, P. a decimal-to-binary encoder responsive to said ANDed handicap output signal for producing binary handicap signals, Q. a switchable handicap strobe unit responsive to said ball selection control signal for one of the possible balls for producing a handicap strobe signal, R. a multiplexer responsive to said BCD total points signals and, under the influence of said handicap strobe signal, to said binary handicap signals for providing both the binary handicap signals and the BCD total-points signals as multiplexer output signals in a time-division multiplex fashion, S. a team-total accumuolator register for providing a team-total signal, in response to a team-total accumulator register input signal, T. a team BCD adder responsive to said multiplexer output signals and to said team-total signal for periodically and sequentially generating new-team total accumulator register input signals, U. means for storing and displaying the team-total signal, V. a player-total accumulator register for periodically and sequentially generating a player-total signal corresponding to each of the players in response to a player-total accumulator register input signal, W. a player BCD adder responsive to said multiplexer output signals and to said player-total signal for periodically and sequentially generating a new player-total accumulator register input signal, and X. means for storing and displaying each player-total signal.
 8. A system as claimed in claim 7 wherein said rotable indicator-wheel switches are thumb-wheel switches.
 9. A system as claimed in claim 7 wherein said rotable indicator-wheel switches are lever switches. 